If you guessed bobcats, you were right!

To be skilled at wildlife identification, you must learn to spot distinguishing characteristics even when you only get a glance at an animal.

What characteristics did you see in the last picture? There are definitely some spots on their fur and they have almost rounded ears.

The cats were too small and "cat-like" to be mountain lions. Mountain lions are large, with very long tails.

Lynx have tufts on their ears.

Bobcats have spots on their fur and cat-like ears.

Although we may only have gotten a glimpse of these animals, knowing some major characteristics to look for helped us get a pretty reliable identification. If you are hunting, however, you must be certain of your target and all game laws!

Learn more about the cat family